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•	What is Chiropractic
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Chiropractic

Where Did Chiropractic Originate?

The principles of the spine playing an important role in health and disease date back thousands of years to Hippocrates, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as early bone-setters. In the late 19th Century, both Osteopathy (1874) and Chiropractic (1895) emerged as more formalized health care practices.

The practice of Chiropractic was developed by Canadian-born Daniel David Palmer (1845-1913), a self-taught student of anatomy and magnetic healer. At the age of 20, Palmer moved to Iowa where he began studying natural healing and followed the developments of anatomy and physiology in the medical field. He believed the body has a natural ability to keep itself healthy and that the key to this ability is the healthy functioning of the nervous system. The vertebrae “slipping” out of alignment (known as a “subluxated” spine) could pinch the spinal nerves and cause moderate to severe pain, as well as interfere with the nerve functions, leading to a variety of health issues. Palmer believed he could treat disorders throughout the body by using his hands to move the vertebrae back into their proper positions and restore proper nerve flow.

Upon discovering that Harvey Lillard, the owner of the janitorial service in the building he worked at, was deaf, he asked what caused the deafness. Lillard responded that 17 years ago he strained his back. During the strain he heard a “pop” which subsequently resulted in hearing loss. Palmer examined Lillard’s spine and discovered a vertebrae was misaligned, which in turn caused pressure on the surrounding nerves. Upon adjusting Lillard’s spine, the hearing problem improved.

Palmer established the foundation and basic tenets for healing using Chiropractic which have remained essentially unchanged. In 1897, he founded a school in Iowa based on his Chiropractic work that would become known as the Palmer School of Chiropractic. In 1906, he was prosecuted under the medical arts law in Iowa for practicing medicine without a license, spending 17 days in jail and paying a fine. His work was continued by his son, Bartlett J. Palmer who purchased the school and turned it into a success.

Medical Doctors initially opposed chiropractic, labeling it with such names as “quackery” and tried to limit its expansion as a healing method. During the 20th Century, this mindset began to turn as the benefits of Chiropractic were experienced by more and more patients, especially those who had no success for traditional medical treatments. Today, Chiropractic is recognized worldwide, with many countries requiring formal education at accredited colleges and universities in order to legally practice Chiropractic.

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